Re: the function of some music

["Steve Goodman" <spgoodman@earthlight.net>]

----- Original Message ----- 
From: "Richard Zvonar" <zvonar@zvonar.com>
To: "Scott M2" <scott@dreamstate.to>; <Loopers-Delight@loopers-delight.com>
Sent: Saturday, June 07, 2003 05:13:AM
Subject: Re: the function of some music


> At 12:02 AM -0400 6/7/03, Scott M2 wrote:
>
> >In Eno's original definition of Ambient Music, which appeared in early
> >copies of Music For Airports, he declared "Ambient Music must be able
> >to accomodate many levels of listening attention without enforcing one
> >in particular; it must be as ignorable as it is interesting."
> >
> >This means that it may be listened to intently (as in concert music),
> >or may simply be treated as a sonic environment. While not too
restrictive
> >a definition, it certainly states that the music must serve for both
> >functions and therefore, must not "demand" attention.
>
> Then that pretty much covers it.
>
> Eno should run for political office.

Perhaps, but in the sense of being an Ambient candidate, would anyone but 
us
know he was running? :)

I've always tried to adhere to the Eno Ambient Rule whenever I did anything
I decided to call "ambient", though I should say that I'd read Eno as 
saying
it "must be as ignorable as it is listenable."

On this level though, I found myself exploring specific types of sonic
environments that more adhered to the "Music for Films" area - and dubbed 
my
work in this regard to be "Situational Music" or "Ambient-Situational
Music".  I wanted to still be within the bounds of being able to be
ignorable and listenable, but also provide a kind of soundtrack for the
listener, should they wish to listen to it in this way.  To my chagrin only
later did I think about the applicability to film/video/TV.  Silly me.  But
I continue to pursue the Ambient-Situational area as such.

Slightly BOT: The other night BBC2 ran a show named something like "Dave 
and
Joe Go Tokyo", which apparently is a weekly - beautiful contrasting pieces
with "what's new in Japan", ostensibly... and one of the items on the show
was presented as an "Ambient Toy", a huge seller apparently.  All it is is 
a
small round figurine (more like a fat Pokemon than a 'Buddha' visually),
whose head rocks gently right and left.  It looked very quasi-hypnotic, and
yes, Ambient if you will.

Has anyone seen these little fellas?  Or for that matter the "Go Tokyo"
show?

Steve Goodman
EarthLight Productions
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